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Med Lav. 2012 Jul-Aug;103(4):243-8.
The hygienist and sociologist Louis-René Villermé (1782-1863): a pioneer of
occupational medicine.
Tsoucalas G, Kousoulis AA, Karamanou M, Stamboulis E, Androutsos G.
History of Medicine Department, Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Abstract Louis-René Villermé's work and research have ranked him among the most important
figures in the history of occupational medicine.
The aims of this article were to objectively record the influence and the impact of
Villermé's life and work on the establishment of occupational medicine.
A thorough analysis of scientific and historical literature on the subject was conducted. The
authors paid special attention to primary French sources.
Louis-René Villermé was born in Paris in 10 March 1782. Taking advantage of his good
fortune and financial prosperity, due to the recognition of his initial work, he progressed efficiently and
with decision towards a new way of thinking. He stressed the importance of observatio
n of the social
environment, the role of investigations on lack of hygiene, the significance of statistical recording and the
study of demographic statistics, and devoted himself to the labour force's health problems. He died in his
homestead on 16 November 1863.
Villermé lived an intense life full of activity, social work and travel. His support of the
working classes' rights, his opposition to child labour and gender inequality, and hi
s fight for humane
conditions in prisons remain diachronic ideals. He provided a reference model for socio-medical
research and contributed to the establishment of the new scientific discipline, Occupational Medicine.
PMID: 22880486 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22880486
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